In the construction industry, the leading type of hazard is falling. Known lifeline or fall-protection equipment or systems are designed to protect against personal falls from height while at work and can be used for travel restraint or fall arrest.
More specifically, a travel-restraint system, on one hand, allows a construction worker to travel sufficiently far in his/her work for the worker to reach an edge of a building or other structure, but not sufficiently far for him/her to fall over the edge. Toward this end, a lifeline can be adequately anchored at a point of a structure and typically connected directly to a device, such as a D-ring, of a full-body harness of the worker. With this method, a length of the lifeline, measured from the anchor point, is sufficiently short to restrain the worker from any fall hazard. Alternatively, a lanyard is attached to the D-ring and another device, such as a rope grab, which, in turn, is compatibly attached to the lifeline. With this method, the rope grab is prevented from sliding along the lifeline (e.g., use of a knot in the lifeline) to a point where the worker is no longer restrained from his/her falling. With either method, the system must be securely anchored and also adjusted so that the lifeline, when it is fully extended, and/or lanyard, prevents the worker from reaching beyond the edge where the worker may fall.
A fall-arrest system, on the other hand, in the event of a free fall off the structure by the worker, must protect the worker from his/her hitting ground or a next level or any other objects below the work. Toward this end, the fall is limited to a certain distance, and peak fall-arrest force to which the falling worker is subjected is limited to a certain amount. In particular, the harness must be connected to an adequate safety-support, -anchorage, or -anchor assembly via the lifeline or lanyard (possibly equipped with a shock absorber) and lifeline.
In this respect, there are three basic types of safety-anchor assembly. First, a “design fixed” safety-anchor assembly (i.e., load-rated anchor) is specifically designed and permanently installed for fall-protection purposes as an integral part of the structure. An example of such an assembly is a roof anchor on a high-rise building. Second, a “temporary fixed” safety-anchor assembly is designed to be connected to the structure using specific installation instructions. An example of such an assembly is a nail-on anchor used by shinglers. Third, equipment or an existing feature of the structure not intended as respective anchor points may be verified by a professional engineer or competent person as its having adequate capacity to serve as a safety-anchor assembly. Examples of such an assembly are a rooftop mechanical room, structural steel, and a reinforced concrete column. Each of these types of safety-anchor assembly can be used to anchor a travel-restraint or fall-arrest system if the assembly has been installed properly.
Regardless of the type of assembly used, static strength of the assembly is required to meet at least a minimum value. This value depends upon, among other factors, the number of workers attached to the assembly.
Thus, there is a need in the related art for a durable, effective, engineered, ergonomic, reliable, robust, simple, and versatile safety-anchor assembly of a fall-protection lifeline system for workers. More specifically, there is a need in the related art for such an assembly that takes the form of fall-protection tie-off-post-anchor equipment configured to serve as a safety tie-off anchor for workers in specialized applications (e.g., targets primarily commercial-construction projects for concrete-slab applications). There is a need in the related art for such an assembly that also is fixed, light, non-disturbing (i.e., no tool or fastener is required to use the assembly), portable, and temporary. There is a need in the related art for such an assembly that also can be easily transported and quickly set-up. There is a need in the related art for such an assembly that can be also used by more than one worker at a time. There is a need in the related art for such an assembly that also use thereof is practically error-proofed.